> Does Love Really Die? > by The Orange Nebula > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1: Waiting Room > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever had that feeling in your chest? A heavy, woeful feeling, like an anvil being dropped atop your stomach. It’s a painful feeling, but a feeling all must face through the harsh journey that is life. The feeling of a heart, shattering, and leaving an array of glimmering crimson glass, twinkling in the sunlight, like and explosion of red fireworks. It is a wonderful sight, but not wonderful to experience Sadly, I suffered this painful fate, left swelling with a never-ending sense of guilt. I hate retelling my story, a tale that left me a shell of a stallion. Breaking my spirit, mind, and feeling, crushing my senses like a stab to the throat. But I know, no matter how much I hate to do it, I will tell you my story. In hopes you don’t suffer the same fate. The fate of a tragic loss… *************************** Walls crumble around us when things go bleak, there is no denying that. And similar to good ole Mother Nature, our problems lack sympathy, and thrive off pain. I never asked for any of this to happen and I would rather die than relive it, but the dread that circled in my stomach hurt so bad, no words can describe it. I stared blankly at the white tiled floor of the waiting room; my heart thrashing so violently, I swore it would have blown through my chest. I couldn’t stop the shaking of my legs, and my hooves trembled more and more every waking moment. The ceiling fan above me continued to spin, spitting damp and unsatisfying gushes of air onto my face. I ignored it, and dabbed the sweat from my forehead. I was focusing on too much at a time to think straight. When something so surprising, so terribly unexpected occurs in your life, you really are left confused if it was just an illusion or reality. The hoping, praying, wishing that this isn’t really happening. I looked up from my lap, staring through the one window on the waiting room, looking over the myriad of stars outside, the moon standing beside them like a king above its followers. “Please Celestia,” I whispered to myself, “Please oh please tell me I’m dreaming…. Please.” The loneliness of the waiting room grew unsettling, the echoing ticks of a single clock, the stomping of ponies running about on upper and lower levels of the building, and the god awful silence that followed. The only other pony in the room besides me was a nurse, sitting behind a glass frame at her desk, staring uncaringly at a stack of papers. I wondered how somepony could remain so calm in a place full of crisis and injury. The front door of the waiting room slowly creaked open. I jumped to my hooves, waiting to see who it was. But to my relief and disappointment, five ponies walked into the room, faces drenched in a look of worry. The orange one shielded her eyes with her hat; I could barely see her quivering lip beneath the shadows of her bright blond mane. A pink one walked by me next, hair drooped down like a deflated balloon, and her eyes; drained of color. Next was a white coated pony, eyeliner dripping down her cheeks and mouth slightly agape. Then came a much different mare. She walked hunched over, face completely obscured by her thin pink mane. I could barely hear her muffled cries and chokes as she walked out of the room. Finally, the only pony I recognized came by. Twilights eyes were aimed towards the floor, and she seemed to be in a trance of some sort. I approached her; my footing was unsteady as I did so. As our eyes met, I asked the simple, yet complicated question, “Is she ok?” She stared blankly for a moment before replying, “She’s… she’s ok, just… not in great shape.” I felt a sinking feeling in my heart, “I mean, how bad is it? She’s gonna be ok, right? RIGHT!?” Twilight was taken aback by my sudden outburst; I hadn’t even noticed I was yelling. After a deep breath, and a few moment of recollection, I asked again, much quieter this time,” Is she going to be ok?” “She’s conscience, and she’s talking plenty,” Twilight said, “but the damage is…” she paused, gulping back a lump in her throat, “the damage is pretty bad.” I wanted to say something, but words didn’t form. She didn’t deserve this fate, I did. NOT HER! My thoughts were cut short when Twilight spoke again, “But on the bright side, she wouldn’t stop talking about you.” She gave me a withered giggle, and I smiled briefly, before it faded away, thinking about the situation at hoof. The door behind us opened once more, standing in the entrance was a pony dressed in a white coat, a stethoscope wrapped around his neck, clipboard gripped in one arm, “Is a Mr. Soarin in the room?” he asked. Twilight gave me a slight nod, followed by an even slighter grin before walking out of the room to catch up with her friends. I approached the doctor pony, my whole body quaking so frequently; I swore I would fall to pieces at any moment. The doctor stared at me with a serious expression before he began to speak. “Soarin is the name, right?” he asked, eyeing his clipboard. “Yes,” I said, almost whispering. “Well, Ms. Dash has requested to see you now, but I must give the following warnings. It’s mandatory for all patient guests.” I prepared myself for whatever he may say next, tensing up slightly, but I let him begin. “Ms. Dash is not in the healthiest of conditions, as you already know, so I advise you do not provoke her in any way shape or form. Understood? We want her as placid as possible to get well as soon as possible.” His strict tone of voice reminded me of Spitfire, shouting orders on the course, but I ignored that thought and agreed to his terms of conditions. “Now you are the last guest of the night,” he said, “Ms. Dash’s parents and friends already greeted her, I assume you’re her spouse?” I froze up at the question, “Uh… no, no I’m not,“ bowing my head slightly, “Just a close friend.” “Well alright then,” he announced, “I’ll bring you to her room; take as much time as you need.” I gave a nod before he finally lead me out of that godforsaken waiting room. As we walked down the white hallways, silence seamed to engulf me. The place was eerily quiet at night. But the stillness is not what left me so uneasy. It was knowing that Dash didn’t deserve this fate. I did. I should have been hit. Before long, I was brought to a pair of double doors. A piece of paper had been taped to the wall, just beside the room number. Patient: Rainbow Dash > Chaper 2: The First Encounter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The double metal doors opened, emanating a slight creek. I peered through the dim light of the room, one lamp dangled haphazardly from the ceiling, and the cold AC whispered through my ears, sending chills up my spine. A maze of medical equipment was scattered about the room, resting on silver rolling tables of all shapes and sizes. In the center of all the mess, was a hospital bed, sitting just below the dim glow of the flickering lamp above it. In the bed… was her. Her mane was unkempt, tangled and disheveled. Her eyes looked weary, strained and sour, staring peacefully up at the dirtied white ceiling, and a worn hospital gown wrapped itself around her. But to my surprise, a soft grin decorated her face. That smile just seemed out of place, but it felt good to see her not in complete disarray, like the tiniest, most miniscule light through this dark abyss. I looked to the corner of the room. I saw her saddle bags, ripped and torn, placed just beside a nearly destroyed Wonder Bolt flight suit. From the angel I was standing, it looked more like the skin of a dead animal than an outfit. The doctor gestured me to enter, and slowly closed the creaking door behind me. Just beside the bed was a nurse, hunched over in her stool. She looked up at me upon my arrival, and I noticed the tiredness in her face. Bags sat beneath her eyes, and the look of exhaustion washed over her. Still, she gave me the faintest smile as I approached. I tried to smile back, finding difficulty in doing so, but I managed. Before I moved any closer to the bed, the nurse left her old position and walked towards me, “I’ll give you two sometime alone,” she said; her voice was fragile as glass. I grinned before she headed out the room. As I stood by the hospital bed, I took a seat in the same stool the nurse sat in, just beside the sky blue pony. Her magenta eyes slowly drifted off in my direction, widening slightly. Her smile grew more comforting and I could feel the soothing heat that radiated off of it, like a warm blanket on a cold night. “Hello,” she whispered, giggling at this strange predicament we both found ourselves in. “Hi, Dash,” I said, returning the chuckle. I continued to stare into her surprisingly stagnant eyes, “How you holding up?” “I’ll manage; a few bumps and bruises have never stopped me,” she said, stretching out her arms and sitting more upright in the bed. I frowned slightly, fearing she didn’t realize how much damage she was really in. My mind started racing for a moment, and guilt returned. None of this felt right, I should have been the one in that bed. Not her. Dash gave me an odd grin, “What are you thinking about?” she asked, taking notice to my lack of expression, caught in the murky recesses of my mind. “Oh… uh… I just…” my words were flustered, “I just feel… bad. No, beyond bad. N-none of this should be happening. I mean, it- it’s just not…” my rambling became incoherent as Dash cut me off. “Soar, calm down,” she said with a voice soft as silk, “None of this is your fault.” I looked down, trying to seem as nonchalant as I could, but still nothing felt right. I cocked my head upwards again, gazing dead into the magenta hue of her eyes, “Why did you do it, Dash?” “Do what?” she asked, confused. “Why did you save me, get yourself hurt like this. I just don’t feel it was worth it.” Dash gave me a cold stare and I began to regret my choice of words. “Are you kidding?” she scoffed as I sank my head a bit lower. “Last I checked we were best friends,” she said, her comforting smile returning once more, “and last I checked friends help friends, or in this case… save them.” She let out a weak giggle and so did I, trying to hide the blood rushing to my cheeks. Dash sunk her head back into the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. I looked around the room, trying to think of what to say or do next, that’s when I spotted the ripped Wonder Bolt suite still leaning against the wall. I got up, and made my way to it, Dash watching me as I did so. I picked it up, looking over the tattered remains. I walked the suit back to Dash, sitting beside her again. She frowned at the sight of it, “Soar, please put that away, I-I don’t want to see it right now.” I noticed tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “I was just going to bring this with me after I leave tonight,“ I said, “So… you know? You can fly in it when you get better.” She gave me a soft smile and her newly birthed tears vanished. Her next response confused me, “We’ll see.” I didn’t know what she meant, but decided to ignore it, so I simply grinned and placed the tattered uniform beneath my seat. What Dash said next was a bit off topic, “Hey Soar?” she asked. “Yeah?” “Do you remember when we first met?” I was a bit confused by the question, “Yeah, of course. But why do you ask?” She simply shrugged, “I was just thinking about it.” My body tensed up, and my tongue tied itself into a not. Why would she be thinking about that? Was that a good sign? My mind began to race, and that memory came into place, it was a rather important part of my life after all. I believe it went a little something like…… ********************************* That night was rather hectic; ponies running ramped through the palace halls and corridors, music pounding through my ears like a drum, but what really grabbed my attention that evening was the brilliant aroma of freshly baked apple pie, lingering in the air. I had come to that fancy party, The Grand Galloping Gala for one reason only, and that was business. No matter how much I disliked focusing on work during a party, I had to. The Wonder Bolts were one of the events prime attractions, and I couldn’t waste my time dancing or mingling. All I had to look forward to was interview after interview, photo shoot after photo shoot, and autograph signing after autograph signing. Spitfire made that very clear, and wanted my head in the game as much as possible. As the colorful party lights above flashed like stars, and the roaring of a thousand ponies enjoying the party rattled me, I had to get some air. Trying to slip out of the building without Spitfire noticing was not an easy feat, but I managed. As I stood in the quite courtyard of the palace, everything looked and felt otherworldly. The serine peace and quiet, the calm, cold night air, and the scent of… PIE! As soon as that odor hit my nostrils, my body went into overdrive. If pie was anywhere in a 20 foot proximity of me, you can bet that pie would be gone in a flash, resting nicely in my digestive system. I dashed like lighting, following the scent until I stumbled across a neat little apple stand, assorted with countless amounts of glorious apple related nourishments. Behind the counter was an orange coated pony, giving me a friendly grin as I approached. There was so much to choose from, but as my eyes met with the apple pie sitting atop the highest shelf, I knew what I was buying. I paid the mare and received my reward, the most spectacular delicacy all of Equestria had to offer. I placed the pie tin in my mouth, galloping back to the party. I was tempted to devour the entire thing then and there, but I didn’t want Spitfire to notice my absents, so I decided it would be best to eat inside. As I opened the massive entry doors, the party came back to life, and the incredible noises filled my ears again, but I didn’t mind them, I was too excited about eating pie to care. I entered the main hall once more, moving towards Spitfire; luckily she never noticed I had left. But what happened next had to be the worst possible thing to occur in my entire lifetime. I had tripped over an assortment of used party hats and cups, falling downwards to the floor. At that moment, everything slowed. No, I am not being metaphorical. I swear, for just a few seconds, the world literally slowed as I watched my succulent pie tumble through the air. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” was all I could scream, watching what felt like a best friend die before my very eyes. But then, what had to be the brightest, most abstract light, shined in my face. A bright rainbow hue shimmered in front of me, catching the pie in midflight. I was dazed, and my vision; slightly blurred by the sudden glow. Time went back to normal, and I hit the ground with a thud. As I arose to my hooves, the crowd surrounding me in shock and awe. I was confused, why was everypony looking at me? But as I looked up, I saw something rather unexpected. Standing in front of me, my pie clenched in her teeth, was a mare. To this day, I am still at a loss of words; her appearance was so… so… majestic. Her rainbow mane; loos and free, followed by the most decorative dress I have ever seen. Her magenta eyes stared into mine, I was left dumbfounded. “Th… thank… th…” I couldn’t form a simple thank you I was so stunned by her presence. She dropped the pie into my hooves, smiling the brightest smile I have ever witnessed. “Are you Soarin!” she yelled in excitement, “OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!! It’s such an honor to actually meat a Wonder Bolt!” she extended her hoof, shaking mine violently. My heart liquefied, “this must be a dream?” I thought. I continued to stare dumbfounded in front of the mare, still not saying anything. She looked confused at my silence. “Uh… you ok?” she asked, shaking a hoof in my face. I shook my head, regaining my focus. “Uh… thank you for… saving my pie,” I said sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. Before I could even get the blue coated ponies name, Spitfire came from behind me, grabbing me by the shoulder. “Soarin! Where have you been!?” she shouted, “Ponies are waiting for you!” “I was-“ “Never mind, let’s go!” and with that, I was tugged against my will through the party, watching as the Rainbow mane pony disappear behind the crowd. I never knew that after that night, I had met what had to be the most loyal friend a pony could ask for. > Chapter 3: A Sudden Collision > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dash and I held our stomachs, trying to cease our hardy laughter. Recapping on such joyous moments always filled me with glee. I watched as she wiped a tear from her eye, her once soft grin now stretched upwards to form a beautiful smile. “Man, Soarin!” she giggled, “Looking back, I never noticed how nervous you were.” My hilarity slowly came to a halt as I responded, “Yeah, I was pretty tensed up.” “But why?” she asked abruptly, turning this happy moment into one of stress. “What do you mean?” I asked, pretending not to know what she was talking about. It was a pitiful excuse to stall and not answer the question. “Why were you so worried that night?” she asked, a coy grin engraving itself over her features. She knew the answer; she just wanted me to say it. I was simply a pawn in her game of amusement. Scratching the back of my head, eyes darting across the room, I knew there was no dodging the question. “Well…uh… you just looked really…” “Yeah?” she said, giggling at my nervousness. I wasn’t annoyed though, it was playful and sweet. Besides, who doesn’t want to be told they looked wonderful? “You just looked, b…beau…” She leaned in closer to me, waiting with anticipation for me to finish the word. Her stare resembled that of a child, begging their father to read the final sentence of a bedtime story as they dangled by a cliffhanger. “You looked beautiful,” I said, letting out a gush of air and a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. Dash’s response confused me. She began laughing uncontrollably, falling back over in the bed, holding her stomach in a feeble attempt to prevent her guts from spilling out. “What’s so funny?” I said, hot headed with a face beaming a bright red. I had just admitted to something that I would have preferred to keep secret, and here she is laughing at me. It’s safe to say I was rather annoyed. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Soarin,” she said through her amusement, “Your face was just priceless!” I rolled my eyes playfully, revealing a grin of embarrassment. I nudged her on the shoulder, trying not to burst into laughter myself. But what happened next turned my blood cold. Her laughter turned raspy as Dash began coughing, holding her chest and choking on her own air. My eyes went wide, nothing but black pinpoints remained of my pupils as I watched her gag and moan. I gripped her hoof in mine, staring down with an immense look of fear in my eyes. “Dash! Dash what’s wrong!? I-I’ll get a doctor!” but before I could run from my seat, she pulled my arm back, signaling that it wasn’t needed. Her coughs finally subsided and I let out a massive breathe of relief. “It-it’s fine Soar, just a bit sore,” she said, rubbing at her throat with a raspy tone of voice. “A-are you sure?” I asked, “I mean, that sounded… awful.” “No, no, I don’t need a doctor, I’m fine,” she sounded much more stern this time. Unwillingly, I sat back in my stool, letting that terrifying moment dwell in the past. An unsettling silence broke between the two of us, but then I noticed something. Dash was still holding my hoof. I flinched a little at the realization, but that’s when I felt how cold it was. Like a frozen tundra had just washed over the room, consuming Rainbow in ice and leaving her cold to the touch. I was about to say something about it when Dash spoke first, “Soarin? Remember the real time we first met?” I raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?” Dash smiled, “The first time we actually talked, got to know each other.” The memory came back into view, “Oh yeah, I remember. But why do you ask?” Just like the last time Dash wanted to recall our past, she simply shrugged and said, “I was just thinking about it.” I smiled warmly, still looking down on her, “Well, it went a little something like………. ***************** After yet another long day of flying, stunt performing, and screaming fans, I hadn’t been more exhausted in my life. The thought of getting home for a hot cloud shower and a night in bed pushed me further through the setting sky. The clouds were thin, almost string like as I slowly hovered above them. The orange sun baked my fur, washing me over in fatigue, lowering my eye lids and draining the energy from my wings. As the hot breeze brushed against my mane, the faint sound of flapping wings came to my ears. I perked up a bit, falling out of my sleepy trance to see who may be nearby. Cocking my head back-and-forth, I saw no pony, only me and my thoughts. But suddenly, like a flash of lightning, a rainbow colored beam of light came hurling in my direction. A pegasus seemed to be the source of the bright path that followed her. A sudden thought of the Grand Galloping Gala came into my mind. I had seen that rainbow before. But before I could even fully realize who I was looking at, a shrill voice filled the air, “GET OUT OF THE WAY!” As I poorly attempted to dodge the pony flying in my direction, it was too late, and we collided head on. The impact was much stronger than I expected. The air had been completely knocked out of me as the two of us fell with a thud on a nearby cloud. I lay there, holding my aching stomach and throbbing head. The pegasus pony beside me shot back up to her hooves, looking down on me with eyes of sweltering rage. “HEY WHY DON’T YOU WATCH WHERE YOUR GO—“ her bombardment of screams stopped when she took better notice of who I was. Her face sunk and her eyes drained of color for a moment. “Oh my gosh, Soarin! I-I’m so so so so sorry. I- I didn’t mean to hit you, I thought you were somepony else.” All I did was lay there, staring up at the mare. Even when angry she looked amazing, but her sympathy towards me was flattering. I remained silent, still processing if this was real or fake. She waved a hoof in my face just like the last time we met, trying to snap me out of this trace. With a shake of the head and a chill running down my spine I finally replied, “Oh, uh… it’s not a problem.” She extended a hoof to help me up, and with shaken innards and a wavering self-confidence, I was on my feet again. The sky blue pony looked frighten, as if preparing for me to yell at her. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Soarin.” She said, this time in a much lower, guilty tone of voice. I gave her a soft smile before simply asking, “What’s your name?” “Oh, I’m Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash. That was the name I yearned to know, the name that would have haunted my dreams. “So, Rainbow Dash, what are doing out here?” I asked. “I was just practicing some standard flying techniques before it gets too dark. Nothing big really.” I could tell she was still terribly nervous, little did she know I felt just as timid around her. I took notice to the large bruise on her chest. She had obviously been more hurt than I. “You ok?” I asked, gesturing to the mark. “What, this?” she said, pointing at it as well, “I get this kind of stuff all the time, I’ll be fine.” Her stern tone of voice was coming back and I felt relieved knowing she was alright. The sun was beginning to lower over the horizon and the cold breeze tickled my back. Rainbow rapped her hooves around her chest trying to keep warm. “I’m sorry Soarin, but I got to get back to my place. Whenever I run into you again… let’s talk.” I stood petrified as Rainbow gave me a grin and soared off into the darkening sky. I may have been still and quiet, but never had I been happier.